...the book provides a remarkably fine coverage of the various facets of the environment that would affect, of be affected by, the construction of a man-made lake on the river, with all its attendant modifications to the river and its environs and to the lives of the people in the area. ...the book on the Purari River and its environs is of interest to any who wish to learn more about the environment of the region and of the factors that should be assessed in the development of tropical river systems.' Aquatic Botany, 27 (1987)